“If Lex does summon my brother,” Orion said. “We can find them. My blood is no longer part of a magical banishment to repel Taryn, so sharing the same blood makes it possible to track him.”
And to cloak that, either Orion or Taryn would need to provide some of their shared blood. So that was an option. However…
"That would mean we’re already screwed," I said. Because then Taryn would be here.
"Yeah."
Stopping Lex from bringing Taryn here was the best option, instead of trying to fight them together. Too bad good plans were in short supply.
Orion glared up at his ceiling, obviously wishing he could move around. He thought out loud, trying to find something we missed.
“The demon you called Bad Mother doesn’t believe Lex will succeed at bringing my brother here, and certainly not anytime soon. I’m not sure that’s true. They had years to prepare in Hell. Lex tattooed the spell he needed to un-banish my brother on his body in preparation. They wouldn’t go this far and just leave his arrival to chance. They put their plan into motion now because they’re finally prepared to succeed. They must have an idea in mind for getting Tarryn here."
He had a point. It sounded like there weren’t many ‘get out of Hell free cards available,’ but they still probably located two. One to get Lex here and one to get Taryn here. Since one escape triggered an automatic retrieval process and surly bounty hunter, they wouldn’t count on using the same exit twice.
"Well,” I offered, “there was something I was checking out when we met at Bliss.” I had no idea it was related to Hell or Lex because Max was never forthcoming about the details, but I’d had enough time to put some pieces together.
"Right,” Orion said. “I followed you because I recognized the energy on you and thought you might be acting at my brother’s bidding."
"Yeah, holy crap, I think I was."
Okay, maybe I hadn’t put the pieces together so much as I wascurrentlyputting the pieces together even as we spoke.
"You weren’t compelled," Orion argued.
"No, I wasn’t. But every now and then a friend of mine has me look into things for him. He usually sends me after stuff but this time I found something that I thought would interest him.”
Since Max and I exchanged numbers and started texting, he’d sent me on a few missions for incredibly vague reasons. Tracking down supposed lost relics, investigating old reports of otherworldly encounters. While never too forthcoming on the whys, I’d started to get a sense for the things that interested him. So, when I stumbled on an auction item purchased by a sex demon clan in the area, I thought it was up Max’s alley. I confirmed with him and went to check it out. What if Lex made sure I found out about the cuffs?
"Your friend is from Hell?" Orion asked.
"No, I think he’s from the opposite place."
"Heaven? That’s even more unlikely. Some demons found a home here and have their own realm. Angels don’t."
"There’s an angel in the DSA. And my friend doesn’t want him to know we’re looking into my friend’s past because he’d smite us or something. I thought the agent was just being a dick, but maybe we’ve been poking our noses into angel and demon business this whole time?”
Max needed me to snoop for him because he hoped to avoid drawing Frost’s attention, and this seemed to be a personal thing for them, not a professional thing. And from what Aaron told me, Frost usuallyonlyhad professional things, never personal. So whatever caused him to make an exception for Max had to be big. Plus, if demons came from Hell the planet, then did angels come from Heaven the planet? Max did mention being an alien.
Frost was the scariest Fed, or supernatural version of a Fed, I ever met. And being a criminal, I’d never met any nice ones. So I figured it was best not to ask too many questions about him or what Max was sending me after. The less I knew, the less reason Frost had to ever pay me a visit. But I guess I stumbled onto the secrets of Heaven and Hell anyway.
Something clicked for Orion. "Wait, are you talking about Agent Frost?"
"Yeah, how do you know, no, never mind. There aren’t too many people running around claiming to be angels."
"I’m tracking down Lex at his direction."
"Athisdirection?" I asked doubtfully.
"Okay, I’d do it anyway,” he admitted. “But Idohave his backing."
So, if the cuffs had otherworldly powers that interested angels and demons… and if Lex needed them…
"Shit, what if the cuffs can open up a path to Hell somehow? I didn’t think they were anything, but…” there was no telling if my theory was right or wrong unless we saw the cuffs again. “I wonder if we can get them."
"Oh, I’d say that’s likely." Orion stopped glaring at the ceiling, a faint smile on his face now.
"You’re in that good with this den?"
